Writing Update: Shadow Puppet Mysteries

2 weeks from now, the first part of Shadow Puppet Mysteries will go live for everyone to read for free. Today I’d like to talk a little bit about my process for writing this series.

When it comes to a mystery, the most important thing to do is to know the solution. In order to create a fair mystery that can be solved it’s necessary to know the full truth ahead of time. Beginning this January, I started thinking about RMV Mysteries 2 and the idea of shadow puppets came fairly on although this concept evolved throughout production.

While working on the first scenario, I also worked on the background scenario and touched it up as necessary. If there weren’t enough people to suspect, I worked on the backstories for certain characters and made them more mysterious. If the logic didn’t quite connect, I adjusted the tale so that the solution would make sense from beginning to end. In this way, both the first scenario and the truth behind the entire series was constructed.

The first scenario’s rough draft was completed back in June, but I’ve given myself several months to not only revise and make the story better but also to start development on Part 2 of the series. By starting development on the next scenario, it reveals the areas of the story that are shallow and need more depth. Now I’ve been able to take things I’ve learned by writing the second part and make the first part even better as the model for the rest of the series.

While writing a series you have to invent new things, but with a mystery series moreso than anything you want a sense that everything was decided from the beginning so many elements have to be in place to start with.

Creswood was a rather simple mystery, but Shadow Puppet Mysteries has more complexity due to being in development for a longer period of time. Right now my thinking is that there will be seven parts, but everything is subject to change depending upon the reaction of you the reader.

That’s all for today. Please look forward to Part 1 releasing on October 25th and let me know your impressions!